Posts Tagged pancake recipe

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cream Cheese Butter

We are officially in the throes of pumpkin season. For as much as I gripe about pumpkin spiced lattes and other seasonal pumpkin atrocities, I really do love pumpkin. It’s a fantastic and versatile winter squash. Pumpkin is phenomenal in a myriad of baked goods – cakes, cookies, pies, etc – but pumpkin also tastes great in soups and stews, salads, curries, and other savory applications. (Let it be known that I will never, ever, ever like pumpkin in a latte. It’s not happening, people.)

Of all the pumpkin preparations, however, the pumpkin pancake is my favorite. Pumpkin pancakes are the epitome of comfort food. They’re good eats, plain and simple.

I’ve been making a version of this recipe for years, but haven’t posted it on the blog until now. (I’ve been holding out on y’all!) These pancakes are fluffy and moist and they actually taste like pumpkin. They’re so damn good. I wish I could take credit for the cream cheese butter, but I borrowed the idea from Utopia Cafe in Portland, OR. I think the cream cheese butter is a brilliant and decadent addition to the pancakes. You must try it for yourself.

Lastly, this post is dedicated to my sister, Danielle. She’s the only person I know who loves pancakes more than I do, and has a strange obsession with the pumpkin pancakes at IHOP. I simply can’t eat pumpkin pancakes without thinking of her.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cream Cheese Butter

Serving Size: 8 small pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)

Instructions

To make the cream cheese butter, mix together equal parts cream cheese and butter. This can be done using a spatula or an electric mixer. Blend until well combined. (Note: I do not sweeten or season the cream cheese butter, as I pour syrup over the cream cheese butter and pancakes.)
In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil). In another bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined, do not over mix.
Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. (Note: you know the pan is ready when water droplets dance across the surface of the pan.) Pour batter into small circles on the pan and allow each pancake to cook for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side. Serve pancakes warm, with cream cheese butter and maple syrup.

Notes

Adapted from Inspired Taste.

http://rosemarried.co/2013/11/04/pumpkin-pancakes-cream-cheese-butter/

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Blueberry Syrup

I spent this past weekend in a little cabin on the Umpqua river, cooking up a storm for the Juliet Zulu retreat. My lovely and talented friend Adriana joined me in this cooking adventure, and she was the best cooking partner I could ask for. We worked our tails off, but everything turned out beautifully. It was a blur of cooking, cleaning, laughter, sunshine, and s’mores.

I made these pancakes on the first morning of the retreat, and they were everything I hoped they would be. They were light and lemony, with just the right amount of moisture and density from the ricotta. The blueberry syrup was fresh and warm and was the perfect compliment to the pancakes. (This might be my new favorite breakfast.)

I can’t say this weekend was easy, but it was good. I’m thankful that Juliet Zulu trusted me to feed them for an entire weekend, and I’m extremely thankful that I had such a great cooking companion.

I couldn’t have done it without you, Adriana!

Photo by Natalie Bosteder

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Syrup

Serving Size: Makes 10-12 small pancakes

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup whole milk
3 eggs, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
For the blueberry syrup:
1 pint of blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

To make the syrup:
Combine the blueberries, 3/4 cup of sugar, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest in a small pot. Heat over med-low and stir to combine. Allow the blueberry mixture to come to a slow boil and reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer for at least 15 minutes (until it reaches a syrupy consistency). Set aside until use. (Taste and add more sugar if needed.)
To make the pancakes:
If using somewhat watery or runny ricotta, strain the ricotta with cheesecloth (or a mesh strainer) for 30 minutes prior to using. (The ricotta I used was thick & dry, so I skipped this step.)
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, sand salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest.
In a third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Gently combine the dry ingredients with the ricotta mixture. Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter and stir until the mixture is just combined.
Heat a griddle over medium-high heat and brush the surface with butter. Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour the batter into small circles on the hot griddle. When bubbles begin to form, flip the pancakes. (About 2-3 minutes per side). Adjust griddle heat if needed.
Serve pancakes warm, with blueberry syrup.

http://rosemarried.co/2013/07/25/lemon-ricotta-pancakes-with-fresh-blueberry-syrup/

Chickpea Pancakes & Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Recipe for a perfect night:

1 Sunny Friday evening in Portland, Oregon
1 Dear friend, Mari
2 Glasses chilled Rosé
1 Porch swing
2 Chickpea pancakes
1 Generous helping of warm shaved Brussels sprout salad
2 Tickets to the Trailblazers vs. Lakers game at the Rose Garden
1 Huge victory over the Lakers by the Trailblazers

Combine all of these elements together and you have a (nearly) perfect evening.

The only reason I say nearly perfect – as opposed to completely perfect – is simply because my husband wasn’t able to join in on all the fun. He had to work late (boo, hiss).

But, my friend/food blogger/Blazer nerd Mari is a lovely substitute when the husband isn’t available, and we did it up right last Friday.

We drank good wine.
We soaked in the sun.
We ate good food.
We watched a great basketball game.
We wore our matching LaMarcus Aldridge Jerseys (like the dorks we are) and cheered on our boys.

We even met Blaze the Trail Cat (YES. Our mascot is really a cat. And, yes. His name is really Blaze the Trail cat.)

The food was fabulous, the company was superb, and the basketball game was nothing short of amazing.

But, enough of this basketball craziness. This is, after all, a food blog (as opposed a basketball blog), so I feel the need to tell you about the food that contributed to our perfect evening.

The chickpea pancakes are a recipe I’d seen on the almighty Tastespotting. I always keep an arsenal of Gluten Free recipes around for nights when Mari visits, and this recipe was at the top of my list. Not only was the recipe gluten free, but it was vegan (yay Lent!), required minimal prep and/or ingredients, and it looked unbelievably tasty.

The original recipe paired the chickpea pancakes with a lovely green salad. I didn’t have the makings for a lovely green salad, but I did have a bunch of Brussels sprouts that I needed to use up. So, then, I simply made up a “salad” using the Brussels and various other ingredients I had laying about. The result: a warm shaved Brussels sprout salad with shallot, almonds, and lemon. It was the perfect compliment to the chickpea pancake.

I served the warm salad atop the chickpea pancake, with a drizzle of Goddess dressing over the top.

Recipe: Chickpea Pancakes (Socca) with Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
3 cups Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed
1 small shallot, diced
The juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Dash of red chili flakes
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Using a knife or mandoline, slice Brussels sprouts very thinly.

Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Set almonds aside.

In the same skillet, warm 1 tablespoon quality olive oil (or clarified butter). Add minced shallot to the pan and cook until translucent.

Add in sliced Brussels, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until sprouts are starting to wilt (but are still green and crisp). Remove pan from heat, and toss the Brussels mixture with lemon juice, salt, pepper, chili flakes and toasted almonds. Serve warm.

The recipe for the chickpea pancakes can be found at Whole Living Daily.

Beet & Quinoa Pancakes

Forgive me if I sound like a world-class drama queen for a moment…but if I see one more heart-shaped Valentine’s recipe I might claw my eyes out. Just saying.

Its not that I hate Valentine’s day or romance…I don’t. I have a Valentine (husband) whom I love very much, and I’m excited for our quiet night in together. I’m just not a fan of the hearts and the cupids, the pink and the red, the chocolates and the teddy bears. Its just not my thing.

So it is a complete coincidence that this recipe happens to be something that is in the Valentine’s color palette. Yes, the beet quinoa pancakes are a vibrant shade of pink/red. Yes, I am posting them on Valentines day. Did I make them for my Valentine? No. I made them for my friend Mari and then a week later, I made them for my family. So take that for what it is, and lets all put this heart-shaped madness behind us.

Now that I have that out of my system, I can tell you without any hesitation that these pancakes are my new favorite breakfast. I’d seen the recipe a while back and placed them on my list of “things to make” in 2011. I was immediately intrigued by their vibrant color, and when I saw that the recipe originate from Kim Boyce, I knew I had to make them. Kim just recently migrated to the Northwest and is the author of “Good to the Grain“, which is a cookbook I’ve been meaning to check out as I am trying incorporate more whole grains into my diet (and Kim is the queen of whole grains!)

There is only one potential problem with these pancakes: you have to get your hands on some quinoa flour. If you are lucky enough to live in Portland, Oregon, you can get quinoa flour from Bob’s Red Mill (You can visit their store & buy their products in bulk or you can get many Bob’s Red Mill products at Portland area grocery stores). However you come by quinoa flour, I highly encourage that you do so. The quinoa adds a distinct (and wonderful) nutty flavor to the pancakes. In addition, quinoa contains no gluten and is a source of complete protein.

Since the pancakes are made up primarily of quinoa flour (and beets!), they are actually good for you. On top of that, they are really quite pretty. And they taste good! In case you need a little more convincing, I’ll mention that these pancakes contain no gluten and very little sugar. The texture is light and fluffy and the flavors are complex and nutty. The beets add a slight sweetness (and the gorgeous color) that pairs nicely with a touch of maple syrup. My family was slightly skeptical when I announced that I planned to make beet quinoa pancakes for a family brunch (they protested that the pancakes sounded too healthy), but I am happy to say that I made believers out of all of them (even my dad had seconds, which is saying a lot). The beet quinoa pancakes were a hit.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day (or Single Awareness Day or Hallmark Cheesy Holiday or whatever you want to call it…).Lets be done with all this heart-shaped madness, and eat some hot pink pancakes! :)

BEET QUINOA PANCAKES
(Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen)

3 small to medium sized red beets

Dry Mix:

1 and 1/2 cups quinoa flour (available from Bob’s Red Mill)

1 cup rice flour (*can use all-purpose flour, but I used rice flour in order to make the pancakes gluten-free)

3 tablespoons dark brown or muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Mix:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup plain (non fat) yogurt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 egg

Method:

1. Roast the beets, Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim tops off the beets & wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Roast until very tender (prick with a fork or knife), about an hour. Cool, peel, and purée the beets in a food processor or blender until smooth. You will need 1/2 cup of beet purée for the pancakes (any remaining purée can be frozen for later use).

2. Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, melted butter, egg, and 1/2 cup of beet purée until smooth. Using a spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine. The batter should be the consistency of lightly whipped cream and crimson in color.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Rub the pan generously with butter. Working quickly, scoop/pour small, flat mounds of batter onto the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancakes, flip it over and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown (about 5 minutes total). Keep cooking in batches (buttering the pan between each batch) and cook until the batter is gone. (If the pan is too hot or not hot enough, adjust the temp for consistent results).

Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter (if you so desire).